Athletic Injuries

Abstract

Athletic injuries comprise a significant portion of the musculoskeletal problems seen by family physicians. If one accepts the broad definition of an athlete as anyone who engages in physical activity, caring for athletes becomes an even more important part of a family physician’s practice.1 With the increasing popularity of sport and exercise in the United States today, physicians must be prepared to manage an array of acute and chronic athletic injuries. Family physicians are well suited to care for patients with athletic injuries along a spectrum from prevention to injury rehabilitation.